“Sometimes when I’m designing jewellery, I smile. The most ridiculous detailing is often ay the back, unseen to the world. But I know somebody will see it and smile. That’s the joy of discovery. It’s completely priceless.”

“I once furiously bid for an old chipped tea pot because it came in a peculiar shade of turquoise. I only collect things that give me joy. I reject the notion that
high jewellery cannot be playful.”

THE 1980s


Brazilian Amethysts, Zambian Emeralds,
Ethiopian Coral, Madagascan Tourmalines

“I bought a pearl necklace in Palermo. It had bandicoots and cats, cups and spoons, all encrusted with pearls. It was an odd necklace, a lot of the pearls were missing. I didn’t know if I liked it or hated it. It reminded me of a gap-toothed smile.”

“I have an eye for curiosities. Ponte Vecchio, Saint-Ouen, Chor Bazaar or old Bond Street. Delightful precious wonders in diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Nestling between dusty ledges, moth-eaten velvets and chipped china. Gleaming at me through the stained windows of antique stores in the late afternoon sunlight.”